It works so why change it? That's the attitude from New Zealand head coach Steve Hansen ahead of their Rugby World Cup semi-final against England on Saturday as he selects 14 of the players who started for the All Blacks in their demolition of Ireland last week. Lock Patrick Tuipulotu has been named on the bench for the game at the International Stadium Yokohama, while Ardie Savea moved to seven and Scott Barrett is promoted to the starting side at six. England will name their starting lineup shortly with Eddie Jones set to throw a surprise into the mix by picking both George Ford and Owen Farrell. You can get full details of that England team once it's announced on our Rugby World Cup website.
Yesterday the fallout from Ireland's exit took another turn when Isa Nacewa came out and criticised Joe Schmidt for returning to more conservative playing styles ahead of the Rugby World Cup. Nacewa has been a long-time admirer of Schmidt since they paired up so well together at Leinster and Gerry Thornley writes this morning that Nacewa's criticism of his former coach is certainly not his greatest move. "If I'd been given a list of players who might have made those comments, Nacewa would not have been among them. Well, maybe second last before Johnny Sexton," he writes. Sonia O'Sullivan also looks at Ireland's disappointment in her column this morning and writes that routine makes life easy but change is a challenge. "Days go by and you remember that there is still the semi-finals and final to go but it doesn't mean as much and you wonder what to focus on next," she writes.
On to soccer and the future of the domestic game is on the agenda lately as various different proposals for the league are put forward. The idea of an all-island league is one of those which has gained the most traction and Emmet Malone writes this morning that the idea should be a no-brainer for clubs if the man behind the proposal – Kieran Lucid – can raise the money needed, as he says he can. "[LUCID'S] plan represents an opportunity for change on a scale that simply cannot be achieved in the foreseeable future by the leagues individually," he writes. Last night Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain helped Liverpool to their first away group stage win in the Champions League in two years when he bagged a double in their 4-1 win over Genk, leaving them one point behind Napoli in Group E. Earlier on in the evening Frank Lampard's young Chelsea side made another statement as Michy Batshuayi netted in their 1-0 victory away to Ajax. This evening Manchester United meet Partizan Belgrade in the Europa League and Harry Maguire said yesterday that the squad has discussed the "worst-case scenario" of racist abuse during the match after Partizan were already ordered to play two matches behind closed doors due to racism.
In golf, Tiger Woods has shot his best round of the year with an opening 64 at the Zozo Championship in Japan to join a share of the lead with Gary Woodland, despite opening with three consecutive bogeys. In the last while, Rory McIlroy has signed for a two over par round of 72 with Shane Lowry one shot better off while an off-form Graeme McDowell slipped to an 81. With play just finished in Japan, a report will follow shortly.
Finally to our women in sport pages where Joanne O'Riordan writes that Denise O'Sullivan is taking centre stage in the US with North Carolina Courage while Mary Hannigan speaks to Lena Tice ahead of the Ireland women's hockey Olympic playoff in Donnybrook.
